Iowa Specialty Hospital

Notes from Steve

October 7, 2024

Picture of a cat called Fat Janice.Someone asked me how my weekend was … all I could think of was, “I was bit by no-see-ums constantly.”  Then I started to itch.  Yesterday, I played music with my friend Sara at the Lazy J Animal Rescue Ranch (we call ourselves Fat Janice after my sister’s cat Janice, who is fat).  It was a lovely day and filled with hungry bugs.  A good time was had by all.

So, this is October.  Sixty years after I was born (my birthday is October 28).  Am I filled with a tiny bit of age-related anxiety?  Yes.  My friends from high school (also turning 60) are ignoring their “special birthday” this year - focusing on anything else.  Some people are telling me, “Oh, your 60’s will be your favorite decade” … save it - people in their 60’s are telling me differently.  I’m not expecting sunshine and roses.  My unstated but obvious goal is to remain as healthy and as vibrant as I am today.*

Walking through life is no picnic.  Suppose we look at life as a journey and understand that small deviations from the best path will take you down a whole different trail.  Is it about lots of exercise and only great nutrition and healthy behavior? … kind of, yes.  It doesn’t mean sucking the fun out of everything, but perhaps it means redefining our definition of “fun.”  There was a segment on the news today about how we deal with anxiety, and the gist of the story was focusing on gratitude, not things that drive you crazy.  

My month of celebration.  Ugh. Acknowledgment of a life well lived (so far)**. 

*No one asked for your comments.
**Dr. Kakade said that living to 120 is entirely possible, so basically, I’m only halfway.  

« Back

© 2024 Iowa Specialty Hospital. All rights reserved.